Whether you are downsizing your living quarters, organizing your household, or just need a place to store your belongings while you move, mini storage facilities can be extremely helpful. However, it is important to carefully consider where you are entrusting your precious belongings before moving them in. Below is a list of five important things to consider when choosing a self storage facility.

1. SECURITY

Security is obviously the most important thing to consider when choosing a mini storage facility. Secure storage of your belongings as well as security for you when moving items in and out of the facility are of paramount importance.

In terms of the security of the facility for your belongings, make sure that the facility you are considering has an alarm system installed both for the facility as a whole and the individual units. Key coded access cards ensure that only other customers and employees of the facility access to the location of the storage units. Cameras located within visible range of all units as well as all entrances and exits to the facility are also important. There should be security guards to monitor the cameras round the clock and also to personally patrol the facility. In terms of personal safety, make sure that the area that the storage unit is located does have cell phone service or some alternate way that you can call for help in the event that you need it. Finally, all units as well as the facility as a whole should be outfitted with working smoke detectors.

2. CLIMATE CONTROL

Your belongings are important to you, and climate control storage is one way to ensure that your belongings come out of storage in the same condition that they went in. While climate control storage might be a bit pricier than the alternative, it is definitely worth it. Climate control storage ensures that your precious belongings are kept at an even, moderate temperature at all times and are not subjected to the potential damage of either freezing cold or scorching heat.

3. CUSTOMER SERVICE

While the benefit of using a self storage unit is that it is cheaper than units run by moving companies, that does not mean that you have to sacrifice on the type of customer service you receive. Customer service can make a great mini storage experience even greater. Experienced customer service reps can help you in choosing the best size storage unit for your needs, assist you with setting up your account and payment options, and provide you a person to call in the event that any problems do arise.

4. 24/7 AVAILABILITY

When placing your belongings into self storage, it is difficult to anticipate all the scenarios in which you might need access to a particular item. You don't want to wait until a weekend or holiday to realize that you need some paper work you have put into your self storage unit only to discover that the facility is closed. For this reason, a facility which offers 24/7 access to your unit can be extremely convenient and help you avoid unnecessary hassles.

5. FREE MOVING VAN USE

Getting your belongings to and from the self storage unit can be difficult to arrange. If you don't have access to a truck, this transportation can also add unnecessary and costly expense to your use of mini storage. A facility which offers free use of their own moving van can make your use of the self storage unit much more convenient.